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Published on Thursday, June 15, 2017

Oakville growth plan revises urban structure

Plan guides where and how much town will grow

Kerr and Speers

Condo building under construction

Following extensive study and public engagement staff presented Town Council with draft Official Plan Amendments that would see a newly revised Urban Structure section introduced into the Town of Oakville’s Official Plan – the Livable Oakville Plan.

The draft amendments provide a framework for how the town will accommodate required growth to 2041, while protecting green spaces and established neighbourhoods from development pressure.

Continued public input on the draft amendments is welcome until they go to Council for approval this fall.

“The town must consider how to accommodate the mandated provincial growth forecast to 2041,” said Mayor Burton.

“A comprehensive urban structure provides us with the high-level vision of where to accommodate new growth and sets out the basis for official plan policy and for making future planning decisions.”

The Urban Structure Review studied the role of existing and emerging growth areas such as Midtown Oakville, the Trafalgar Road Corridor and the area surrounding the Bronte GO Station; the preservation of residential areas and the protection of natural and cultural heritage; the relationship between growth areas and the delivery of municipal infrastructure; and criteria for evaluating new growth areas.

The review was also one of three land use policy studies required to be completed under Interim Control By-law 2016-024 restricting land uses on the Glen Abbey Golf Course.

In addition to being incorporated into the Livable Oakville Plan, the revised urban structure also provides for revisions to the North Oakville East and West Secondary Plans to align them with the changes to the Livable Oakville Plan.

“This review is about trying to define what Oakville will look like decades from now,” said Mayor Rob Burton.

“If we look ahead 100 years, the town’s core structural elements – our natural heritage system, our residential areas, our nodes for growth and the corridors that connect them — will still be there, thanks to our commitment and long-range planning.”

The town held many public information meetings to get to this point. Monday’s Council meeting also served as a statutory public meeting for the draft Official Plan Amendments.

A final decision meeting by Council on the recommended amendments is expected in the fall. Until then, residents are encouraged to review the amendments and share their comments. Documents can be viewed at the Planning Services department at Town Hall between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, or on the town’s Official Plan Review web pages on oakville.ca.

An official plan is a legal document containing goals, objectives, and policies intended to guide land use, development and growth in a municipality. Oakville’s official plan is comprised of the Livable Oakville Plan and the North Oakville: East and West Secondary Plans.

The Planning Act requires a review of the official plan every five years. This is also called a municipal comprehensive review. For more information visit the Official Plan Review page at oakville.ca to see the revised urban structure section.